Desal plant shutdown a success says WASA

Acting chief executive officer of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Gerard Yorke, says intense planning and hard work paid off for the recent success of the ten-day shutdown of the authority’s Desalcott’s desalination plant at Point Lisas. The plant went out of operation for ten days from January 15 to facilitate maintenance works.

In a statement, Yorke said several operational and communication initiatives were implemented as part of an overall plan of action which was effectively instituted during the period. The operational strategies were devised by key members of WASA’s Operations Division, headed by director of operations, Mannoo Bridglal and including head of operations Steve Joseph and regional manager, South, Anand Jaggernauth.

Among the key actions undertaken were:
• Redistribution of supplies from the Caroni and Navet Water Treatment plants
• Introduction of temporary water supply schedules for areas in central and south Trinidad
• Deployment of 83 water trucks
• Publication of two temporary water supply schedules in daily newspapers, prior to planned shutdown
• Daily customer updates
• Increased leak repair programme
• Opening up of new customer hotlines manned by senior management

The release said those measures enabled the authority to quickly resolve issues which arose in keeping with the overall aim of maintaining an adequate and reliable supply to customers. The statement said many customers interviewed by personnel of the utility said they were satisfied with the plan of action during that time.

Below are customer testimonials regarding the level of service received during the period of the shutdown:

Ramesh Ramnath
50, Avocat Village, Fyzabad:

“The water came according to schedule. Sometimes it came brown but it was just a matter of allowing the brown water to run off. Other than that I had no problems.”

Jamieyel Pantor,
28, Princess Town:
“To be honest I got more water than before because normally we don’t get water during the day. I didn’t feel the effects of a shortage.”

Kurleen Cross,
28, Marabella:
“I thought it would have been worst but it did not affect me at all. Water came during the night so all we had to do was fill our tanks and buckets when the water came.”

Dhanwatie Motilal,
47, Debe, Penal
“We had water every day during the shutdown. We had no problems at all.”